BERT GILBERT’S VERSATILITY

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 933, 23 January 1908, Page 18

BERT GILBERT’S VERSATILITY

Versatility is one of Mr Bert Gilbert’s strongest points. It is not only as a pantomime comedian that he shines, though the general public know him best in that aspect of his many sided character. They remembered him for ten years as the Baron Bounder in “ The Babes in the Wood”—they will certainly remember him for quite as long in his excruciatingly funny representation of King Collum in “ Humpty-Dumpty.” He made a hit in two musical comedies — “ The Gay Parisienne ” and “ The French Maid ” when he was out her last. In England, while pantomime and vaudeville has claimed most of his time, he has also appeared in musical comedy, his biggest success being ‘ Micky O’Dowd in “Lady Molly,” and Charley Taylor in “ The Blue Moon,” while Mr Courtneidge wanted him badly for “ Tom Jones ” as principal comedian. Then he is a composer of some facility. He nearly always writes the words of his songs, and in many cases scores the music. “ If you want to be a Kangaroo ” which he is now singing in “ Humpty Dumpty ” is written and composed by him, and he also wrote the verses of “ Wait for Me,” one of the biggest song hits in the piece I This gift of writing does not stop at comic songs; he is full of pretty sentiments of love songs, and has done some excellent work for the concert platform. His last great success was “ ’Tis not Good-bye, ” the words of which are quite the opposite of his other writings. For his hobbies he depends on photography, in which he is an expert sufficiently clever to hold several trophies won in important

amateur competitions. His artistic instincts lead him also to landscape painting, and on one occasion he turned this faculty to some account by painting a scene for a pantomime as he wanted it. Altogether Mr Gilbert may be said to live his life very fully and very agreeably indeed, and to be an exceedingly “ valuable man to have about the place.”